Fire Destroys Penn Forest Residence

A vacation home in Penn Forest Township - destroyed by fire yesterday - gave some Carbon County firefighters attending a fire school nearby a first- hand look at battling a blaze.

The fire at 998 Hugo Drive in the Towamensing Trails development started at 10:45 a.m. and was under control by 12:45 p.m., said Penn Forest Fire Chief Walter C. Hunsicker. There were no injuries, and the people who were staying in the home were at a restaurant in Lake Harmony at the time, he said.

The fire started in some ashes from the fireplace that were placed in a cardboard box placed outside next to the house, Hunsicker said. He did not have a value for the building.

The home was owned by Donald Trout of Carney's Point, N.J. Trout, who was not staying at the home this weekend, had rented it to four people from Carlisle, Hunsicker said.

In addition to the Penn Forest Fire Company, firefighters from Albrightsville and Lake Harmony were at the scene. About 20 members who were attending a class on firefighting fundamentals at the fire school in Lake Harmony also came to the fire, Hunsicker said.

"They were having a class at the time - a fundamentals class - and the instructor brought all the people down to the structure," he said.